Tag Archives: virginia wedding

As we quickly approach the official start of 2018, I couldn’t help but TRY to get one last blog post up… eeeeeek! If I’m making any resolutions whatsoever, it’s to check more blog posts off my list. Annie’s face says it all:

Considering I’m WAY behind in sharing all the beautiful love that made up Urban Row’s 2017 weddings and engagements, I’m going to spread the love out over a few summary posts in the coming days/weeks before I get to the full posts! …you’re welcome. 😉

But before doing our annual ‘best of’ series (as in… 3 new posts, coming at ya in the form of 2017’s best of love stories, best of details and best of small businesses), I thought it’d be fun to share some of the numbers behind the pretty pictures!

We had a lot of milestone firsts this year, including traveling to Italy to document Maggie + Ben’s Cinque Terre wedding in May – an amazing trip in SO. MANY. WAYS!

We welcomed 3 times as many URP couples to the family as we did in 2016… and 2018 is right on track with record numbers, a booth at 2 bridal shows/venue open houses in January, a super exciting new brand aesthetic to be revealed, an updated and revamped bridal guide hitting mailboxes soon for our 2018 couples and lots of behind-the-scenes business education efforts being invested in…!I can’t wait to see where 2018 takes us! I’m so crazy excited to make creative magic behind the camera at new venues and returning to established ones, with new lovebirds and recent newlyweds heading towards the first anniversary and with the help of experienced vendors and new movers and shakers in the always evolving wedding industry… CHEERS to making memories together!!!

photos delivered: 8,293

business miles driven: 3,672

blog/media features: 8

vendors collaborated with: 168 (!)

rain during a session/wedding: 3

awesome photos during/after rain at a session/wedding: 3

international weddings captured: 1

behind the scenes shoot at Fox 45: 1

cakes smashed on #urpbrides faces: 1

grooms that got iced during introductions: 1

live bands we jammed to at #urpcouples receptions: 3

advils consumed at the end of wedding nights to ease sore muscles: 42

all the joyful, emotional moments we were a part of: too many to count!

I wish you all a fun, festive and fabulous start to 2018; here’s hoping our paths may cross more than once…

Happy Monday! Please tell me you got outside and enjoyed the AMAZING Fall weekend we just had?!? Today looks to be the only sunny day for the next week, so what better way to enjoy it than with the start of a new series on the blog!

I’m soooo excited to announce that as a result of meeting and collaborating with so many incredible talented creatives recently AND continually being inspired by how each got their start as an entrepreneur, I’ve decided to share the love and spotlight some of my favorite vendors – especially those you may not know about but should, while you’re planning your wedding (or any special occasion for that matter)!!

Our first vendor spotlight feature showcases Moss & Surf, and owner/designer, Susie McQuiddy. I learned of Susie’s talent and gorgeous work while on Instagram (yay for social media bringing people together in tangible ways!) and thoroughly enjoyed working together on a recent styled shoot! Her simply elegant color-block dinner napkins were the perfect touch to the lush greenery; they immediately brought the tablescape to another level as we tied them with fresh green leaves… perfection!

Susie is not only super talented at her handmade craft, she is extremely detail-oriented and invested in providing a product that compliments the exact look or color scheme you’re going for. I could go on and on about how wonderful she and her cocktail and dinner napkins are, but I’ll let the photos and her fun personality, speak for themselves! 😉

What led you to begin a business in entertaining, home goods, textiles and design?

I started MOSS & SURF as a way to combine all of my favorite things – graphic design, modern interiors, home entertaining, fashion trends, photography, and a passion for color! It was also a fantastic way for me to transition back into the real world after my husband and I (and our canine crew member ) traveled and lived aboard our sailboat for 2 1/2 years. The business is a perfect mix of my professional career as a graphic designer/art director and my longtime enthusiasm for creating handmade goods. I learned to sew in grade school while making clothes for my stuffed Snoopy and eventually advanced to sewing a few outfits for myself along with a lot of home decor! When I’m not working on MOSS & SURF, you can find me in the kitchen baking, walking the dog, or out sailing on the Chesapeake! As a side note, MOSS & SURF represents my love of a small family cabin in the woods with my love of the ocean. It’s also my initials…backwards! I’m a one-girl shop and do everything from the designing and sewing to the branding and photography in my small home studio located near the historic downtown of Fredericksburg, Virginia.

What is your favorite aspect about working with clients?

I love helping my clients pick just the right colors to match their tableware, home decor, or event theme! Often, my clients will send images of their dinnerware or placemats for inspiration. In one recent case, I worked with my client to select custom napkin colors for an intimate and eclectic home wedding. She sent an array of references including beautiful images of flowers from her garden. All of a sudden, I became a part of the entire wedding planning process – and a makeshift flower consultant too! It was so fulfilling to be able to lend an artistic eye to her overall vision and be a sounding board for her ideas. Even though the relationship started with a few simple questions about colors, it really blossomed into a true friendship!

What is one piece of advice you’d share with the bride and groom to keep in mind during the wedding planning process?

Oh gosh! My husband and I were married at such a young age, my mom took over almost all of the planning. We just sort of went with the flow and showed up on time! But if we did it all over again today, I would just try to enjoy the process and have fun! Don’t stress out about the details too much (I know that’s so much easier said than done!)…and definitely arrange for as many cake tastings as possible!

Where would you go if you were planning a honeymoon right now?

A honeymoon right now sounds wonderful! My husband and I are a bit of adventure seekers, but we also like lounging around too – a little bit of excitement plus a lot of R & R equals pure bliss for us! So, if you’re into scuba diving (or even snorkeling), Cozumel is our favorite! It can get touristy when the cruise ships come to port, but if you stay at a resort specifically for scuba divers, you’re protected from the regular hustle and bustle. Our favorite is Scuba Club Cozumel! It’s safe, secluded, low key, simple yet charming, and very peaceful. You can spend the mornings out on the water and then relax on their tiny private beach the rest of the day. The underwater sites are spectacular – especially if you try a night dive (hello, eels!). It’s not for everyone, but we would go back in a heartbeat!

What is your favorite color palette?

This is a tough question since my favorite colors change on a daily basis! However, I’ve been a bit obsessed with a soft, subtle shade of aqua blue lately. I guess it reminds me of the ocean! My number one resource for palettes is Design Seeds. There are so many beautiful combinations it’s hard to pick just one! Subtle teals, pale greys, and muted olive greens are always at the top of my list. But then again, I love strong colors like eggplant, chartreuse, and tangerine too!

Where do you find inspiration?

I find inspiration in so many things! My go-to sources tend to be Instagram or catalogs and magazines such as Communication Arts, Design Within Reach, and CB2. I’m always on the lookout for interesting color combinations and they can really come from anywhere! It’s funny, I’ve had an image up on my iPhone of a beer label since February…it just makes me happy. It’s from Evil Twin Brewing called Modern IPA and the label is simply an array of beautiful, angled stripes in summery shades of hot pink and orange. I’m planning to make napkins out of this color combination eventually!

{Naomi interrupting here to say how much I LOVE the vibrant design of this can! …and how it just proves so well that inspiration can be found everywhere!!}

Favorite recent read or must-listen-to podcast?

My husband and I read every night before bed (sometimes I only last for 10 minutes) and I fully admit to being a detective thriller junkie! I just stumbled across an author on Kindle by the name of Joel Goldman. I’m on the third book in his Jack Davis series and will likely read every book he’s written before I switch to something else! I’m also a big fan of NPR – especially IA, Fresh Air, and Science Friday. Music is always on in the background while I work and I love everything from reggae, old school funk, and acid jazz to indie, latin, and electronica. Bob Marley, Thievery Corporation, and Buena Vista Social Club never fail to keep me moving!

Any exciting upcoming projects or collaborations we should be on the look out for?

Yes! Besides collaborating with the fabulous team behind the Accelerator Space styled wedding shoot, my napkins recently appeared in a tasting event for Eleven Courses Catering & Event Co. and I’m working on a few small custom napkin projects through my Etsy shop. I’m thrilled to be one of the artists featured on Cultivations (cultivations.com), a beautifully curated online shop for handmade goods designed in the U.S. Everyday is exciting for me and I’m so appreciative of all the opportunities I’ve had since launching MOSS & SURF last July!

I can’t thank Susie enough for sharing her talent and style with me (and us!) – her color combos are always so uplifting and the elegant look and feel to her napkins is something you won’t want your guests to be without!!

Thanks again, Susie! Cheers to an amazing first year for Moss & Surf!!

While on opposing trivia teams, Keri and Patrick met at the Ottobar, a neighborhood bar not far from where they used to live. Witty banter eventually turned into serious conversation as they spent more and more time together before, after and outside of trivia happy hours…

Patrick knew how much Keri’s close college friends meant to her, so he knew he wanted to involve them in his proposal. The rest of their sweet love story is summarized here, from our time during their Wyman Park engagement session!

The intimate and cozy Stone Manor B&B was absolutely perfect for a meaningful, relaxing way to celebrate with the people they love! I wish more couples would indulge in the luxury of a weekend getaway wedding (or maybe I just wish we had for our wedding!). 🙂

This moment where Keri’s mom helped button up the back of her dress may be one of my absolute favorite; Pride. Love. Joy. Excitement… as a mom myself, I’m no stranger to the emotion-filled ride that is motherhood!

I can’t get over how stunning Keri looked and how perfectly her lace illusion back Allure Bridals dress complimented the romantic, garden aesthetic of the manor’s grounds! I love that she left her curly hair untouched, other than a headband. Isn’t she absolutely breathtaking?!

As Keri and the girls were getting ready (in the largest bridal suite I’ve ever seen!), Patrick and his brother used the opportunity to make some final adjustments to his coral polka dotted pocket square and tie. #coraleverythingplease

Their first look was one of the most unique first looks I’ve ever captured… peeking out among a set of juliet balconies inside the manor!

Keri’s dad, a retired minister, performed the ceremony and her brother walked her down the aisle… cue the happy tears!

I was definitely drooling as I was photographing the cookie dessert table… not only were they delicious, but an extremely popular Pittsburgh tradition! Who knew!?!

I couldn’t get over the dancers they had in their presence!

We were so honored to capture each and every moment of your day and wish you nothing but the best as you continue to learn and discover more trivia facts about each other with each passing happy celebration. 😉

Cheers!
xoxo,
N

Here’s a huge thank you to the fabulous vendors that worked together to bring their vision to life!

Have you ever eaten cake that was displayed on a swing hanging from a ginormous tree? Me neither. Have I wanted to though? Heck yes…

Before you go any further, if you have no idea what I’m talking about, you might want to start at the beginning of our styled shoot series… a romantic copper + candlelight dinner at the Piedmont Steakhouse. Or maybe a light and airy southern blooms inspired treat?

My favorite part of this styled shoot was how everything perfectly tied in and blended together… the soft, textured look of the bouquet was echoed in the detail of the cake icing and the decorative unfolding flowers. The flowing nature of the dresses imitated the rolling hills of Rixey Manor and the Piedmont region of northern Virginia that we were in.

And that’s a wrap! If you’ve made it to the bottom of this post and better yet, perused through all 3 posts from our styled shoot series, I commend you… and I hope you had a nice cold glass of champagne by your side every step of the way if only because it goes with the blush theme, of course! 😉

Hi friends! Hope you had a fabulous Labor Day weekend and an even better time celebrating Summer’s End… Mother Nature seems to still be confused with these humid 90 degree days, but I’m excited for the start of Fall and some unique projects on the horizon!! I will be sure to keep you posted as long as you promise to come back and show the blog some love whenever you are in need of eye candy that’s spicy, sweet and sentimental. 😉

First things first! I have to share, that crushed tulle is my new favorite styling element – it transports so well because it’s already crushed and wrinkled. Um, genius. Can someone please make a line of clothing made out of this wondrous material? Ha, no but seriously, my wedding dress dry cleaning bill (as in the dresses I photograph weddings in… I don’t actually twirl around in my old wedding dress at home, although my daughter would probably think I’m the coolest mom ever if I did!) will thank you.

Speaking of styling tips, work with herbs as much as possible! Here I specifically used lavender (courtesy of the contents from Southern Grown Vintage‘s adorably sweet and unique custom welcome gift box – see below!) which smells amazing and makes a great prop for ring shots…

The venue at Rixey Manor was incredible in so many ways, but for this styled shoot specifically, it was so bright, airy and elegant! The endlessly talented Tabitha of the Girls from Main Street, styled our stunning “southern blooms” inspired tablescape. It was stunning with linens in the most romantic and sophisticated shade of blue and floral design by Good Earth Flowers…

Timeout… these monogrammed plates by Sasha Nicholas took everything to the next level! How special and personalized can a wedding get?! You just found your answer.

Now, what’s a gorgeous table if you don’t have the tastiest and most beautifully presented food to eat while sitting at it?! Roadside Chive absolutely outdid themselves with this spread… I dare you not to drool.

Since you might need a break after eating staring at all of that fresh fruit, veggie and pork tenderloin goodness, I’ll let you digest before sharing images of the beautiful models at sunset along the rolling hills of the Piedmont!

Stay tuned for soft pastel sunset skies, the classiest champagne bucket you’ve ever seen and bridesmaid dresses you’ll actually want to wear and OWN to wear over and over again because they’re so classy yet fun all at the same time. Yes, they are out there! Oh, and did I mention the wedding cake? Yeah, there may have been a swing involved…